Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Ryan O'Shaughnessy (Album Review)
Friday, 10 August 2012
Written by Chloe Scannapieco
People may doubt that televised singing competitions bring anything credible to the table, but occasionally, when a rare gem like Dublin teenager Ryan O’Shaughnessy is washed ashore; it makes all the frightful drivel and car-crash filler almost worthwhile.
If you’re in – or at least in the process – of falling in love, you’re bound to find a genuine connection to O’Shaughnessy’s self-titled mini-album. If not, the showcase of rare adolescent decadence is bound to impress anyway; his heart-on-sleeve ballsiness, the sheer class of his musical tapestry and his admission that his songs are based on one particular girl – who he bashfully wouldn’t name on Britain’s Got Talent - further authenticates his craft.
Some of the lyrics are a tad corny and they’re not advanced by any stretch of the imagination, but it would be unfair to brand them as cheesy. "When you go in for your first kiss, make sure you don’t miss"; O’Shaughnessy’s youthfulness is utterly endearing on ‘First Kiss’, the big melodic winger of the record. The tinny metallic guitar-strings resonating on ‘Sofa Bed’ could viably be mistaken for heart-strings with its beautiful decadence and ‘Time Stands Still’, albeit slightly repetitive, gushes and flutters with raw emotion. ‘No name’ beams brightly with Irish charm, ‘Waiting’ really showcases the soulfulness embedded in his broad vocal range and there’s a strong melodic arrangement in ‘Lost in You’ that’s deeply reminiscent of the late Michael Jackson - a sure fire influence on the young man.
The tempo remains fairly consistent throughout each track and the very nature of the album is gentle and unimposing. Extra credit must go to O’Shaughnessy for his song-writing capability and his superb use of percussion. He’s indisputably following in the tremendous steps of Damian Rice with this bread and butter acoustic brilliance.
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If you’re in – or at least in the process – of falling in love, you’re bound to find a genuine connection to O’Shaughnessy’s self-titled mini-album. If not, the showcase of rare adolescent decadence is bound to impress anyway; his heart-on-sleeve ballsiness, the sheer class of his musical tapestry and his admission that his songs are based on one particular girl – who he bashfully wouldn’t name on Britain’s Got Talent - further authenticates his craft. 
